Photo kindly supplied by the "Valiant Sailor" Nov 2011.

Above photo showing the main bar Nov 2011.

Above showing the restaurant area Nov 2011.

Above showing the pool area, Nov 2011.

Above photograph kindly supplied by Jan Pedersen, 1978.

Above two photos by Paul Skelton 15 Sept 2007.

Above photographs kindly supplied by Jan Pedersen, 1977 showing the lorry crashed into the then front porch of the pub which was taken very shortly after the accident had happened.

Picture above by kind permission Valiant Sailor. Circa 1880.

Above photo circa 1900.

From http://www.penney-nicholass-ancestry.co.nz/kitham_family.html

Richard Kitham married Eleanor Kingsmill on 2 August 1841 at Alkham:

Richard Kitham, bachelor, groom of this parish son of Thomas Kitham, labourer to Eleanor Kingsmill, spinster of this parish, daughter of John Kingsmill, farmer.

Wits: Susanna Finch, Marjery Kitham, Simon Horton Smith.

In the 1841 census of Church Alkham both Richard Kitham (25) and Elinor Kingsmill (25) were listed as servants at the Rectory for William Slater, Lay Impropriator aged 60.

In 1845 Richard with Eleanor and their young family moved to Folkestone Hill, Capel-le-Ferne. Richard was Licensed Victualler at the “Valiant Sailor”.

In 1871 Richard was still Victualler at the “Valiant Sailor” but was also a farmer of 40 acres.

An historic event that occurred in the summer of 1856 was the murder of 2 sisters Caroline and Maria Back by a soldier of the Swiss Foreign Legion, Dedea Redanies who was stationed at Dover.

Caroline was reported to have spurned the advances of the soldier.

Thomas Gurling reported the incident to Richard Kitham and Richard found the bodies at Steddy Hole behind the “Valiant Sailor.”

Dedea Redanies was hanged in Maidstone on New Years Day 1857.

The ballad of “Switzerland John” describes the whole sorry story.

Richard Kitham died in 1878 and was buried at Capel-le-Ferne. His wife Eleanor who died in 1892 was buried with him.

In Loving memory of RICHARD KITHAM died May 24 1878 aged 66 years. Also ELEANOR wife of the above died January 10 1892 aged 80 years. I know that my Redeemer liveth.

The widowed Eleanor continued to live in Folkestone and in both 1881 and 1891 census her unmarried son, Richard, an agricultural labourer/groom, and her unmarried sister-in-law, Ann Kitham were living with her.

From http://www.britishlocalhistory.co.uk

1 JANUARY 1856

In front of a large crowd, Dedea Redanies (26) was executed on top of the porter’s lodge at Maidstone Gaol. He appeared little concerned, approaching the scaffold with ‘a cheerful step’. Once there, he called out: ‘In a few moments I shall be in the arms of my dear Caroline. I care not for death.’

Redanies had murdered 21-year-old Caroline Back along with her younger sister, Maria, one Sunday morning in August. Perhaps she was having doubts about marrying the Serb mercenary, now a member of the British-Swiss Legion, enlisted to fight alongside the British against the Russians in the Crimea.

Recently, Redanies had had doubts about her faithfulness and had become obsessively jealous. And so, on the day before he committed his double murder, he bought himself a knife with a 4-inch blade.

It was arranged that on this August Sunday the soldier and the two girls would set off before dawn to walk the 10 miles from the Backs’ house in Albion Place, Dover, along the cliff-top path to Folkestone. When at about seven o’clock they passed the "Royal Oak", east of Capel-le-Ferne, the ostler thought they seemed very happy. But the bodies of Caroline and Maria were discovered only two hours later at Steddy Hole, a desolate spot, today called The Warren. They were both dead from deep stab wounds to the chest.

But where was Redanies? The next day he was first spotted at Barham Down. Later he called at a shop in Lower Hardres where he bought writing paper and wrote two letters. In the afternoon, a policeman approached him near Milton Chapel, outside Canterbury. The soldier took out a knife and stabbed himself.

Redanies recovered slowly in St Augustine’s Gaol in Canterbury. He wrote letters to the Back family, expressing his sorrow, and these suggest that he was insane. Nevertheless, he was sentenced to hang. He said that he looked forward to being reunited with Caroline and her sister.

Another letter to the Backs, to be opened after his death, read: ‘We are above with our Father again... I greet you with my dear Caroline and Maria... It was signed: ‘Caroline Back. Dedea Redanies, Maria Back.’

 August 3, 1856 - Caroline and Maria Beck murdered in Folkestone

January 1, 1857 - Tedea (Dedea?) Redanies hanged for the crime

I have seen several versions of the song "The Folkestone Murder", all are very similar and tell the story of Dedea Redanies and his murder of Caroline and Maria Beck.

The Folkestone Murder (sung by George Spicer) (Roud 897)

(Recorded 12.11.59 at The Oak Tree, Ardingley)

Kind friends come pay attention and listen to my song

It is about a murder, it won't detain you long

'Twas near the town of Folkestone this shocking deed was done

Maria and sweet Caroline were murdered by Switzerland John.

He came unto their parents' house at nine o'clock one night

But little did poor Caroline think he owed her any spite.

"Will you walk with me, dear Caroline?" the murderer did say,

And she agreed to accompany him to Shorncliffe Camp next day.

Said the mother to the daughter "You'd better stay at home.

It is not fit for you to go with that young man alone.

You'd better take your sister to go along with you,

Then I have no objection, dear daughter, you may go."

Early next morning, before the break of day

Maria and sweet Caroline from Dover town did stray.

But before they reached to Folkestone the villain drew a knife,

Maria and sweet Caroline he took away their lives.

Down on the ground the sisters fell, all in their blooming years

For mercy cried, "We're innocent", their eyes were filled with tears.

He plunged the knife into their breasts, their lovely breasts so deep,

He robb'd them of their own sweet lives and left them there to sleep.

Three times he kissed their pale cold cheeks as they lay on the ground,

He took the capes from off their backs, for on him they were found.

He said "Farewell dear Caroline, your blood my hands have stained.

No more on earth shall I see you, but in heaven we'll meet again."

Early next morning their bodies they were found

At a lonely spot called Steady Hall, a-bleeding on the ground.

And if ever you go unto that spot, these letters you will find

Cut deeply in the grass so green: Maria and Caroline.

When the news it reached their parents' ears, they cried, "What shall we do?

Maria has been murdered, and lovely Caroline too"

They pulled and tore their old grey hair, in sorrow and in shame

And tears they rolled in torrents from their poor aged cheeks.

This murderer has been taken, his companions to him deny

And he is sent to Maidstone and is condemned to die

He said, "Farewell" to all his friends "In this world I am alone

And have to die for murder, far from my native home."

"The dismal bell is tolling, the scaffold I must prepare

I trust in heaven my soul shall rest and meet dear Caroline there.

Now all young man take warning from this sad fate of mine

To the memory of Maria Back and lovely Caroline."

A horrible song, it seems to me, with few redeeming graces - yet it has seemed to be well known, certainly among Travellers. Something of a shock, then, to find only ten instances noted in Roud... and five of these refer to George Spicer! Other known singers have been Mrs Coomber of Blackham, Sussex (noted by Anne Gilchrist in 1906), Charlie Bridger and Phoebe Smith's brother Charlie Scamp (both of Kent). The other two entries are from Canada. But George Spicer's son Ron also recorded it, in 1994, on the cassette Steel Carpet (MATS 0010), and I remember Jack Smith, the Milford, Surrey, based Traveller, singing it in the mid-sixties. Jack sang not only this but at least eight other songs, including four of Pop Maynard's, to be found on this pair of CDs.

According to Brian Matthews, 'Switzerland John' was Dedea Redanies, born in the 1830s in Belgrade. He came to England in 1855 and was enlisted into the British Swiss Legion stationed at Dover Castle. He became acquainted with a laundry worker, Mrs Back, whose husband was a dredger in Dover harbour.

During the summer of 1856, Redanies was courting the elder Back daughter, Caroline.

On August 2nd he accused her of receiving attentions from a sergeant in his unit.

She denied this and he appeared satisfied. He proposed a walk over the downs to Shorncliffe Camp the following day. Mrs Back insisted that they be chaperoned by Caroline's younger sister Maria. At Steddy's Hole, some five miles out, he killed them both.

Redanies was captured the following day at Milton Chapel Farm, Chartham, near Canterbury, after having tried to commit suicide. He was tried, found guilty and hanged at Maidstone on New Year's Day 1857.

George claimed that his grandfather saw Redanies captured, and was most concerned about singing the song in public for fear of offending any relatives of the Backs who might be present.

http://www.mustrad.org.uk/articles/saturday.htm

Valiant Sailor business card 2007

Dear Mr Skelton.

Thank you for an interesting resume of some history together with photographs of the Valiant Sailor Inn, Capel le Ferne, which I found particularly interesting as my grandmother Lilian Lizzie VIDLER was born there in 1882 as per the copy of her birth certificate.

Her mother was Ann Elizabeth nee GIBSON of Elham,Kent and father was Charles VIDLER born Brenzett,Romney Marsh, who as a single man in the 1881 census was employed by William AIRD, Innkeeper at the Valiant Sailor and farmer of 175 acres, as a milkman.

By 1882 he had married and he was described as a milkman on both his marriage certificate and again on the birth certificate of his daughter Lilian, the following year. On the census record his surname is erroneously transcribed as DIDLER.

By 1890, the VIDLER family were living at Sandgate,Folkestone, where Charles was by now, employed by a man named KEELER as a carrier when in October of that year whilst engaged in collecting rocks from the beach at Sandgate with his horse and cart, he sadly was found drowned at the waters edge early one morning, apparently the victim of an accident.

Lilian Lizzie VIDLER was eventually to marry my grandfather Walter NICOLL at Elham in 1903, where he was employed as a groom at the East Kent Hunt kennels at Elham where his father William NICOLL was huntsman. since 1897. and when the mastership of the hunt changed in 1900, to Harry SELBY-LOWNDES, William NICOLL was to become 1st Whipper in, as the master took it upon himself to be the huntsman too and carried the horn. I mention these subsequent events as during the 30 or so years tenure of H SELBY-LOWNDES at the East Kent, he apparently instituted a tradition of a hunt meet at the Warren, Capel le Ferne, each Easter Monday, when around 2000 people would travel to see the huntsmen, members and hounds. The old photo you have published appears to have at least a couple of what look like fox hunters in the background, and I wondered if you could give a better idea of the circa this was taken and if indeed it was an occasion of a hunt meet there.

Thank you also for the more recent photographs of my grandmothers birthplace.

I live in retirement in France but will be visiting Kent in November and in particular The Valiant Sailor during this time, but if you can tell me if any other old photographs of the Valiant Sailor exist from around 1880 into the 20th century, and if so, and how and who I could contact regarding gaining sight of such copies. I should be most grateful.

Yours Faithfully Ian William NICOLL.

Read follow up story at "Castle Inn," Folkestone.